Rise of the Werechipmunks (ONC 2022)

In Which Sophie Considers Chopping off her Soulmate's Hand

 Sophie probably should've seen this coming.

Dating, in general, was not her forte, so it wasn't a total shock that her relationship with her nameless fiancé ended quickly. Still, she hadn't expected him to get decapitated in front of her.

The chipmunk swallowed. As if it didn't see Cora or Sophie standing there, it bounded away, its tawny fur rippling in the air conditioning, leaving Sophie frozen, staring blankly at the way the blood spurted from her soulmate's neck like water from a faulty garden hose.

"Um. Sophie?" Cora's voice was quiet. "You think we should...move?"

Sophie gestured, helplessly, at the body in front of her. Where Nathan-Nate-Matt's head had been, a pool of blood was forming, slick and crimson, on the unwashed linoleum floor. "We can't just leave him here. He's my soulmate."

Cora placed her hands on Sophie's shoulders and spun her to face the classroom.

Five chipmunks the size of Sophie's car pranced around the classroom. They moved in fluid jumps, their loose cheeks jostling with every movement, and with every step they took a bite of whatever was in sight—the wall, the desks, their classmates. Bodies littered the floor like broken rag dolls speckled with ketchup.

"I see your point," Sophie said. Still, she hesitated. "What if there's a way to bring him back to life?"

"No. I swear to God, I will leave you to die Sophie."

"But..."

"No."

"Maybe just a hand? We could hold a ceremony, bury it with some flowers or something. I could write a speech. It would be better than nothing."

"No."

Sophie gave the body one last, sorrowful look. "I will miss you," she said. "Um. Whatever your name is. I hope you're happy in werewolf heaven."

"Okay, we're leaving." Cora grabbed Sophie by the arm.

They ran.

The hallway was worse. The walls were more red than cream and the windows were splattered with brains. Sophie heard a growl, the sound so low she felt it in her bones. She tugged at Cora's sleeve.

"That's got to be a werewolf!" she said. "We should go that way."

"Wh—No! We're not running towards the big growling monster."

But Sophie had already started running.

"Why are you running that direction?" Cora jogged beside her. 

"Odds are—Odds are it's a friendly werewolf!" Sophie gasped out. Werewolves were usually friendly, right? At least, Nathan-Nate-Matt had seemed friendly.

Someone screamed.

"I hate you sometimes," Cora said, but she didn't turn around.

They turned the corner. The auditorium was lit up like a tree at Christmas and the stage glimmered like polished obsidian. Spotlighted between the curtains was a single wolf the size of a large horse. Its hackles were raised and its teeth glinted silver. Three massive chipmunks surrounded it.

The chipmunks were smaller, but they were faster too. They bounded in with quick, light leaps, barely making a sound. The wolf howled. There was a chunk of flesh missing from its chest and blood stained its silver-gray fur.

"We should help the wolf," Sophie said.

"We should run while they're distracted," Cora said.

Sophie sighed. She'd known Cora since she was a little girl and she knew that her friend was near the end of her leash. Her skin was paler than bone, her freckles more prominent, and she kept staring at the fight below them with eyes wider than saucers.